Ginsburg Standard

Ask Sen. Schumer To Apply The Same Standard To Supreme Court Nominee Roberts As Was Applied To Justice Ginsburg

Dear Steve,

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York has gone on record as saying he would question John Roberts, President Bush’s nominee to the Supreme Court, about his views on abortion and a host of other issues.

When asked questions concerning abortion in her Senate confirmation hearings, now Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (then the nominee of President Clinton) responded by saying that the abortion issue could possibly come before her. Therefore, she said, it would be inappropriate for her to give an opinion on the question of abortion. (Incidentally, she had previously served as general counsel for the ACLU.)

Her refusal to answer questions concerning abortion has become known as the "Ginsburg Standard."

Ask Sen. Schumer to apply the same standard to nominee Roberts as was applied to nominee Ginsburg. It is the only fair thing to do.